1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to benzophenone photoinitiators useful in UV curable coating compositions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior benzophenone photoinitiators used in UV curable coating compositions suffered from being leachable because only a fraction of the photoinitiator is consumed during the UV curing process. The large portion of benzophenone which was not consumed remained present in the polymer matrix as a free component, and was leachable upon contact with various liquids, or tended to migrate to the coating surface over time.
Prior attempts to solve the leaching problem with benzophenone photoinitiators in UV curable coating compositions involved incorporating benzophenone into the polyester backbone. U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,674 shows benzophenones with multiple carboxylic acid functionality which react with amine coinitiator. Also, various benzophenone monofunctional (meth)acrylates were synthesized, but they are not practical and not successful because high extractable levels still exist with such photoinitiators. None of the prior attempts to solve this problem have been adequate.
Prior art benzophenones having more than one reactive group had only acid functionality and were suitable for reacting with hydroxyl-functional monomers so as to form polyester linkages. Such linkages are not suitable in UV curable coating systems in which amine coinitiators are present to enhance surface cure.